Has the Steam Gone Out of STEM?

In my last post I linked to a very good site, pathwaytoscience.org.  As I mentioned then, it is a good place to find programs focusing on STEM careers - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  In this post, I would like to say more about careers in these disciplines, as many of them seem to be the ones offering the most opportunities for employment and growth.

An article on forbes.com on July 9, 2012 discusses the "desperate" need for more STEM students in America.  The author, Rodney C. Adkins, senior Vice President of Systems and Technology Group at IBM, writes that when he graduated from college, "about 40% of the world's scientists and engineers resided in the U.S.  Today (2012) that number has shrunk to about 15%."  The numbers seem not to have improved since then and the shortage appears real, even accounting for Americans working in American companies abroad.

One of the best sites for information on these fields of study is one I've written about often - careercornerstone.org.  It provides the most comprehensive information on these careers and gives numerous worthwhile links for further exploration.  If you scroll down to "Site Search/A-Z" you will find just about every STEM career listed.  I also recommend the Bureau of Labor Statistics site and their article, "STEM 101:  Intro to tomorrow's jobs."https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/spring/art01.pdf. On this site you can also find job growth projections through 2022.  Once you find a title you want to explore further, you can do so through the BLS site or Career Cornerstone.

A word of caution - There seems to be some disagreement as to the reality and severity of this shortage.  The AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees published an article in 2016 stating that the supply of STEM graduates in academic year 2011-12 was "robust".  The article shows how employment opportunities between 2005-2015 vary "dramatically by occupation" and list the areas in which employment grew most.
http://dpeaflcio.org/programs-publications/issue-fact-sheets/the-stem-workforce-an-occupational-overview/

The online edition of the Los Angeles Times on August 1, 2015 ran an article which details the discrepancy between the claim of shortages of qualified employees and the actual number of STEM workers.  The article intimates that the shortage is hyped by employers who want to convince Congress to increase the number of H-1B visas which allow companies to hire highly skilled migrants, often at lower salaries.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20150802-column.html

A clearer overview of the topic can be found at talentwave.com, "The Shortage of STEM Workers in the U.S."  which states that the, "AAF (American Action Forum) found that if current trends continue, the U.S. will likely be short 1.1 million STEM workers in 2024..."
http://www.talentwave.com/the-shortage-of-stem-workers-in-the-us/

All this disagreement may seem confusing, but the reality is that there is a need for workers in certain STEM fields.  College applicants may be given an edge in the admissions process if they are interested in pursuing these careers.   This is especially true for women and minorities who are often underrepresented in these majors.  STEM degrees can lead to careers in seemingly disparate fields.  Indeed, there was a US News and World Report article on July 13, 2015 titled, "3 Challenges for Law School Applicants With STEM Degrees - A science, technology, engineering or math degree can show law schools an applicant is used to rigor, even with a relatively low G.P.A."
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/2015/07/13/3-challenges-for-law-school-applicants-with-stem-degrees

SO - the moral of the story - once again - is:
Try to find something to do in life that you enjoy and at which you can actually make a living.